The invention relates to baked potatoes and, particularly, to optimally baked potatoes, especially in a convenient form of baked potatoes having a fully-baked flavor and texture which can be simply prepared for serving in any size portion with a minimum of effort. Processes and apparatus for preparing the potatoes and packaged forms are also provided.
Potatoes have been a staple in the diets of many cultures and are currently taking on favor with regard to frequent recommendations to eat foods high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. See, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, released Jan. 12, 2005, by HHS and USDA. These Guidelines point out that “major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States are related to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.” This is in accord with The Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health. Washington, D.C.: US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1988 and DHHS (PHS) publication No. 88-50210. The Surgeon General's report states, “For two out of three adult Americans who do not smoke and do not drink excessively, one personal choice seems to influence long-term health prospects more than any other: what we eat.” (p1) The report goes on to point out that the type and amount of foods are implicated in general health.
Potatoes are the most widely grown tuber crop in the world. Potatoes are native to Peru, where they were first cultivated by the Incas; and they remain an important to the culture of the Andes, where a wide variety is grown with a diversity of colors and shapes. They were then introduced to Europe and the rest of the world by returning Europeans. Potatoes now available in North America include many varieties developed there and in Europe. They are important nutritionally and are consumed in large quantities due to their eating qualities.
Nutritionally, potatoes are best known for their carbohydrate content (approximately 26 grams in a medium potato). Starch is the predominant form of carbohydrate found in potatoes. A small but significant portion of the starch in potatoes is resistant to enzymatic digestion in the stomach and small intestine and reaches the large intestine essentially intact. This resistant starch is considered to have similar physiological effects and health benefits of fiber.
From a consumer standpoint, potatoes are often grouped into two broad categories—boiling potatoes and baking potatoes. This is not a technical distinction, but a traditional one, with the principal difference between the two types being that boiling potatoes hold up better to liquids because of the amount and nature of starch they contain. Baking potatoes are relatively high in a starch called amylose. Boiling potatoes have less amylose and contain more amylopectin, a type of starch that holds the potato together when boiling or in soup and stews. Amylose is a linear polymer of glucose linked with mainly α (1→4) bonds. Amylopectin is a highly branched polymer of glucose linked in a linear way with α (1→4) bonds while branching takes place with α (1→6) bonds occurring every 24 to 30 glucose units. The degree of cooking of a particular type of potato can be judged by a number of factors, including the association of the types of starch and their degree of crystallinity.
Boiling potatoes are considered by many as waxy potatoes, due to their high amylopectin contents. They come in a variety of shapes and can be long or round. They typically have a thin, smooth skin and an almost waxy flesh or pulp. They are relatively high in moisture and sugar, but low in starch. This type of potato can be mashed but the results tend to be thicker and lumpier than achieved for baking potatoes. Often thought of as being boiling varieties are those sold as round white, round red, yellow potato, red potato, salad potato, la soda, red la rouge, red Pontiac, red nordland, red bliss, yellow Finnish, ruby crescent, and Australian crescent.
Baking potatoes are often thought of as starchy due to their different starch makeup and the way they respond to baking. In appearance, they tend to be long and have a coarse, cork-like skin. They are high in amylose starch, with a dry, mealy texture. But, the pulp turns light and fluffy when cooked. Russets are generally preferred and are typically known as Russet Norkotah, Russet Burbank, Russet Arcadia, Norgold Russet, Russet Goldrush, Long White (or White Rose or California Long White), and Idaho (which is loosely used to describe Russets).
As noted the distinction between baking and boiling potatoes is traditional, but both types can be baked to provide a combination of a complex flavor development and skin and pulp texture. When optimally baked, potatoes are an irresistible food to some. The optimally-baked potato offers a combination of flavor, texture and mouthfeel that, while highly desired, is often missed due to the time and care involved in preparation. Even the aroma that fills the room when baked potatoes are reaching the most desired degree of baking is thought by many to be irresistible but is not always achieved. There has not, heretofore, been a way to capture all of the pleasures of a baked potato without the long baking times.
The optimally baked potato will have its moisture reduced from about 78 to 81% as the norm for a raw Russet potato to about 72%. The optimally baked potato will have a flavor and aroma based on compounds generated, principally by the Maillard reaction, during the baking. Additionally, it will have a dry, fluffy, mealy texture that still offers resistance to the bite but then quickly becomes smooth like mashed potatoes in the mouth. During baking, the peel (also sometimes referred to as a skin) is dried along with a layer of directly underlying pulp (e.g., extending up to 5 mm, but generally from 1 to 3 mm). This drying is necessary to the optimum flavor development and adds a desirable texture to the final product. However, in some cases the peel and the underlying pulp can form a tough exterior that is not fully desirable to some when eaten.
Baked potatoes should not be under cooked (e.g., moisture reduced to only about 76%) where the resistance to bite is excessive and the flavors are not fully developed. And, they should not be over baked to the point (e.g., to about 66% and below) that they are too dry and or have a burnt flavor or aroma. Excessive moisture reduction is evidenced by decreased textural quality and undesirable flavor development. The textural properties of an optimally baked potato can be measured by textural methods.
The baking process also ruptures cell walls holding the starch, which is initially a crystalline complex of amylose and amylopectin, and makes the amylose readily extractable. Thus, tests showing the degree of amylose extraction, like a simple Iodine Index, can be used as an objective test to gauge the degree of baking and thus help identify an optimally baked potato.
To date it has not been possible to provide the eating advantages of an optimally baked potato in a convenient form useful for home or institutional reheating. When optimally baked, there can be problems with skin texture. When baked and left whole, there can be problems of portion control and packaging. Also, when fully baked, frozen and reheated, there can be problems with diminished textural appeal of the peel and/or pulp. When less than fully baked, there is a significant loss in eating quality due to a lack of flavor and texture. When fully baked and mashed, there is a loss of texture.
There remains a current need for improvements that would permit the enjoyment of a properly baked potato with simple and minimal effort for preparation for consumption.